Stratford is a small city andcounty seat ofSherman County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,939 at the2020 Census,^[4] down from 2,017 in2010.^[5]

Stratford, Texas
City
Stratford, 2006
Location of Stratford, Texas
Coordinates:36°20′15″N102°04′34″W / 36.33750°N 102.07611°W /36.33750; -102.07611
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Sherman
Settled	c. 1885
Named after	Stratford Hall
Area [1]
• Total	2.31 sq mi (5.98 km2)
• Land	2.31 sq mi (5.98 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	3,694 ft (1,126 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,939
• Density	840/sq mi (320/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	79084
Area code	806
FIPS code	48-70544[3]
GNIS feature ID	2411988[2]
Website	www.stratfordtx.com

Stratford was first settled around 1885, when a man named Aaron Norton bought 100 parcels of land from theChicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway. His manager, Walter Colton, named it forStratford Hall, the childhood home ofRobert E. Lee, whom he admired. A post office was established in 1900. In July 1901, Stratford was voted county seat, replacingColdwater. In 1928, thePanhandle and Santa Fe Railway was connected to Stratford. The city was incorporated at some point before 1940.^[6]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²), all land.

Stratford is situated in theLlano Estacado. TheRita Blance National Grasslands are due west of the city.^[7]

Stratford has asemiarid climate (BSk) with long, hot summers and short, cool, and somewhat snowy winters.

As of the2020 United States census, there were 1,939 people, 702 households, and 554 families residing in the city.

At the2000 Census, 1,991 people, 722 households, and 535 families were living in the city. The population density was 980.2 inhabitants per square mile (378.5/km²). The 794 housing units had an average density of 390.9 per square mile (150.9/km²). Theracial makeup of the city was 83.02% White, 0.30% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 14.41% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 30.44%.^[3]

Of the 722 households, 39.2% had children under 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 24.4% of households were one person and 11.4% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 30.5% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median household income was $32,656 and the median family income was $37,955. Males had a median income of $27,113 versus $19,524 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,790. About 11.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Stratford is at the intersection ofUS Routes 54 and287, and is the western terminus ofTexas State Highway 15.^[7]

The nearest major airport,Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, is 82 miles and two states away inLiberal, Kansas, althoughRick Husband Amarillo International Airport is only slightly further away, at 91 miles.^[12]

The city of Stratford is served by theStratford Independent School District, and is home toStratford High School.

• Sherman County